Achieving consistency at the administration level and keeping an eye on class sizes at the Dighton elementary school are goals of Dighton-Rehoboth Superintendent Anthony Azar.

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By Jeffrey D. WagnerCorrespondent

The Taunton Daily Gazette, Taunton, MA

By Jeffrey D. WagnerCorrespondent

Posted Aug. 31, 2014 at 11:42 PM
Updated Sep 1, 2014 at 12:20 AM

By Jeffrey D. WagnerCorrespondent

Posted Aug. 31, 2014 at 11:42 PM
Updated Sep 1, 2014 at 12:20 AM

» Social News

DIGHTON — Achieving consistency at the administration level and keeping an eye on class sizes at the Dighton elementary school are goals of Dighton-Rehoboth Superintendent Anthony Azar.

This was one of the reports delivered on Wednesday night at a unique roundtable meeting between two Rehoboth selectmen, all three Dighton selectmen and the three school superintendents that represent students in both communities.

Azar officially became the superintendent in July and asked almost all of the district employees from custodians, teachers and secretarial staff to fellow administrators what their expectations are of him. All delivered the same message — they wanted to know how long he would be staying in the district.

Azar, a Rehoboth resident of 12 years and a former Taunton school principal, reassured them that he has no intentions of leaving any time soon. Azar has two children in the school district and is also a Rehoboth youth sports coach.

“My connection (to the community) is deep,” Azar said.

Rehoboth selectman called Azar’s residency in the community a “breath of fresh air.”

“You have a more vested interest in the community,” Rehoboth selectmen chair Michael Costello said, comparing him to past superintendents.

Azar said he hopes that his connection has a trickle down effect and expressed optimism that it will at the high school level. The school recently appointed 32-year old Kevin Braga as the next principal of the high school. Braga was an assistant principal at the school and a teacher before that. Braga also graduated from a neighboring district — Taunton

Azar also noted that he and his staff are keeping a close eye on the high class sizes at Dighton Elementary School.

Dighton selectmen echoed the sentiment, and added that Dighton’s recent population growth is the highest in Bristol County.

Bristol Agricultural High School principal Stephen Dempsey said when he launched his long tenure at the school 31 years ago, the school campus was a center for agricultural activity. The town of Dighton itself is geographically the center of the county.

Dempsey said with the recent initiative of the students’ farmstand and the farmers market events, that tradition is returning to the school.

Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical High School Superintendent Richard Gross said school students continue to work out in the community and recently helped build additions to the school to help accommodate the population growth.

“I am so impressed right now,” Selectmen Chairman Dean Cronin said, adding that he took two words from the entire night’s proceedings — communication and cooperation.

He said that will definitely exist between the two communities and all three superintendents.